I recently rewatched this childhood favorite if mine and I think I like it even more now! This is actually one of the BETTER of the B&W sci-fi/horror films of the late 50's- early 60's. Produced by Roger Corman on what is obviously a 'shoestring' budget, this was one of the more effective of these types of films. The acting was actually ABOVE the 'Junior-High-School-Play' level of most of these types of movies and the sets were quite convincing as well. Having visited the Florida Everglades and neighboring swamps myself, I think the filmmakers did an excellent job of recreating these locations in a Hollywood studio. The underwater scenes were quite convincing and rather well filmed although the 'giant leeches' themselves were obviously 'stunt-divers' in rather fake looking 'leech' costumes, I cannot not help but feel that these men were taking a great risk to thier own personal safety to film these scenes! ( try to imagine swimming around underwater with SCUBA gear and wrapped inside a great big silly looking 'leech costume' that looks like it is made out of trash-bags with teeth and stuff glued to it!)...
I found it quite amusing that the 'giant leeches' kept the hot looking chick ALIVE in thier underwater cave so that they could keep giving her 'hickeys'...
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